The 12th annual Penn State Uplifting Athletes Lift For Life was a tremendous success on Saturday (July 12), raising the 2014 total to a record $140,000 and the cumulative total to nearly $1 million to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association.

Growing up, Alison Willie had no connection to Penn State. Now, nothing could be further from the truth.

“Nothing, we had no attachment to Penn State, never had anyone go here, nothing,” Willie said of her childhood on the West Coast. “No one in my family had even been to Pennsylvania, so it was kind of a big jump, but now it’s like our second home.”

One of the signature summer events in Central Pennsylvania, the Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes "Lift For Life," is set for 5-7 p.m. on Friday, July 12 on the University Park campus. The 11th Annual Penn State Lift For Life will again feature the Nittany Lion offense taking on the defense in a series of competitions to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association.

Senior guard Eric Shrive (Scranton) has been elected president of Penn State's Uplifting Athletes chapter and will lead Nittany Lion football student-athletes in 2013.

Vice president of Penn State's Uplifting Athletes chapter the past two years, Shrive has been a significant contributor in the planning of the chapter's events to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association. The most well-known event for Penn State's Uplifting Athletes chapter is the Penn State Lift for Life, a strength and conditioning challenge among football squad members held each July.

Penn State Football student-athlete Eric Shrive (Scranton) has been selected one of seven finalists for the 2013 Uplifting Athletes Rare Disease Champion Award. A redshirt junior guard, Shrive has raised nearly $70,000 for the Kidney Cancer Association during his Penn State career.

The honor is presented annually to recognize a leader in the world of college football who has realized his or her potential to make a positive and lasting impact on the rare disease community. More than 30 million Americans are affected by rare diseases. Fans can vote to determine this year's champion at http://www.upliftingathletes.org/vote. Only one vote is allowed per email address.

The 10th Annual Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes "Lift For Life" is Friday, July 13, with proceeds again benefiting the Kidney Cancer Association. The popular event will be held from 5-7 p.m. during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College. The 10th Annual Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes "Lift For Life" event will take place at the outdoor Penn State Lacrosse field next to the multi-sport facility.

The 10th Annual Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes Lift for Life is set for Friday, July 13, with proceeds again benefiting the Kidney Cancer Association. The popular event will be held from 5-7 p.m. during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts in State College. The format and location for the 10th Annual Penn State Football Uplifting Athletes Lift for Life are to be announced at a later date.

Additional contributions to the Ninth Annual Penn State Uplifting Athletes "Lift For Life" has boosted the 2011 total to a record total in excess of $100,000 raised to benefit the Kidney Cancer Association. The "Lift For Life" was held on July 8 in Holuba Hall and the initial total raised by the strength and conditioning event was $94,410.09. Additional contributions have raised the total to $100,930 raised for kidney cancer research and patients by Penn State Football student-athletes. The previous mark was just over $98,000 in 2010.